It may only be matter of time before dinosaurs are back among us. Biotechnology and genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences claims it is on cusp of successfully bringing back extinct species. On Tuesday, company announced its plan to resurrect moa – a 3.6-metre-tall, flightless bird. giant moa once roamed New Zealand's South Island. It was hunted to extinction 600 years ago. Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro said: "We're bringing back avian dinosaurs." Her colleagues will try to recreate extinct bird by extracting DNA from the bones of long-deceased moa. Scientists will use this DNA to modify genome of emu, which is closest living relative of moa.
Colossal is embarking on many "de-extinction" projects. These have created controversy among scientific community. Colossal defines de-extinction as: " process of generating organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to extinct species." It claims de-extinction will allow scientists to engineer natural resistances in endangered animals today. It would also enhance adaptability of species to "thrive" amid climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference. However, critics contend that extinct animals cannot be replicated. Many scientists are concerned about unforeseen and detrimental impacts of inserting "hybrid" species into wild.
